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Of course for many, the lure of Koh Samui is the sun, sea, sand and laid back lifestyle but there is far more to the island than just tropical sandy beaches, azure waters and palm trees. Thanks to the Santiburi golf club,Koh Samui is an exciting destination for golfers, but, if you don’t have golfing skills to show off on the islands world class golf course, why not enjoy one of these two fun variations of the game?

Frisbee Golf

If you can tear yourself away from a relaxing afternoon on a beautiful beach, Frisbee Golf is a fun way to cool off under the canopy of the jungle trees. It might sound like a gimmick but Frisbee golf is a real sport that started in the 70’s in the USA and is also known as disc golf. It is played much like traditional golf but instead of a ball and clubs you use a disc, better known to us as its brand name Frisbee. The Frisbee is thrown from a tee area to an elevated metal basket. The player then progresses down the fairway; he or she must make each consecutive shot from the spot where the previous throw has landed. Like traditional golf, there are trees, shrubs and terrain changes providing obstacles to navigate which certainly adds to the fun. Unlike traditional golf you don’t need to rent a cart and it’s designed for people of all ages, males and females and does not require a bank loan to play!

The course in Maenam is open most days, if you want to play you can just call Nigel on 0816767754, the cost of playing is just 100 baht and you can play all day if you want to. Nigel has refreshments in his ‘club house’ and if there are a few of you playing he is happy to put on a BBQ for you, call him to discuss offers and prices. He can accommodate up to twenty if you fancy a long afternoon of fabulous food and fun.

Football Golf

Football Golf is basically golf with footballs, bigger holes and no clubs; it is a fun holiday activity that can be enjoyed by any number of players and is here thanks to Tom Roberts. Tom’s idea sprang from playing football as a child on the beach back in the UK. To make the game more interesting he and his friends used to dig holes on the beach and test their skills by trying to get a hole in one. The game was quite a challenge; not only because of the required digging, but as most of you will know running on the beach is seriously hard work.To make life a bit easier they relocated to Tom’s garden and the holes were replaced by a chair that was moved around placed behind obstacles to make the game more challenging.

Tom had such fond memories of his childhood game he decided there was no reason he could not take it into adulthood and set out to rent some land and make an 18 hole football golf course, which is exactly what he has done. Unbeknown to Tom Football Golf was already being played in Sweden, a fact he only discovered while surfing the net once his course had been completed. Within weeks Tom had Swedish players enjoying the paradise version of the game and football golf officially took off in Koh Samui.

The course is beautiful and thankfully, in this heat, is protected by a canopy of trees and coconut palms. Of the 18 holes one is a par 2, seven are par 3, seven are par 4, and three are par 5. You will encounter bunkers, bamboo hedges, hills and piles of coconuts on your way round and all need to be negotiated! There are hardly any rules to learn, basically you just have to get the ball in the hole and to keep it fair the most you record that you went over par is 7! The course is open seven days a week from 9am until 6-30pm.

Luxury beachfront and hillside villas on Samui have become ever more popular in recent years and provide an alternative to staying in a hotel there are a number of specialized villa agents you can book through such as Mambo Retreats

The Central Pattana Public Company Limited (CPN) unveiled its latest retail development on March 29th, the Central Festival Samui.

Central Festival is ideally situated in central Chaweng on the beach road. The Executive Vice President of Marketing for CPN said “CPN sees Koh Samui’s great growth potential owing to the island being recognized as one of the world’s top tourist destinations, drawing visitors with high purchasing power from all over the globe including Europe, Australia, Russia and Asia.

Shopping, Dining & Party..

Koh Samuiattracts 1.9 million visitors a year, 80% of whom are foreigners. In addition Koh Samui has seen dramatic growth in residential property development. CPN intends for Central Festival to be a new landmark for the island, standing out both in terms of design and the extensiveness of offerings. The shopping centre’s design features elements and details that are unique to Samui and will be the first themed mall developed by CPN. Its world-class design allows customers to have a resort-style shopping experience under the “Reminiscence of Southern Lifestyle” concept. Shoppers can relax while enjoying their shopping sprees.”

The shopping centre does indeed represent characteristics of Koh Samui such as the vintage Chaweng Port theme with the use of decorations such as birdcages that remind people of the day to day life of Samui residents. The mall’s décor also features Chino-Portuguese influences and colonial style architecture with a charming East meets West blend. Central Festival is certainly a haven for shoppers and indeed for diners. The Central Department store is certainly home to a myriad of big brand names and other anchor stores such s Tops Market, Power Buy, SuperSports and B2S have brought a whole host of items to shoppers that were not previously available on the island. Central Festival has more than two hundred other stores of local and international brands such as Rip Curl, Oakley, Playboy, Uniqlo, CCOO, Esprit, Giordano, Jaspal, Psylo, Adidas, Nature Art Gallery, Helen Mark and Jim Thompson. The Night Bazaar is a great place to while away an evening and the extensive ranges of dining options makes it the ideal place for a spot of lunch or a relaxing evening meal at one of the many gastro bars. Indoor and outdoor dining spaces can be found at B Bistro, Zazen, Zen Sushi and Sake, Coffee Club, Starbucks and Copa Cabana.

Pirates of Marioland

For kids and big kids alike there is plenty of fun to be had at the Mario Land amusement park, decorated under the theme of “The Pirates of the Caribbean”. Central Festival has a variety of events and campaigns plans for the whole year to entertain the residents and visitors of Koh Samui.

Ms. Yuwadee Chirathivat, the president of Central Department Store, said a budget of 425 million baht was spent on building the two-floor Central Department Store at Central Festival Samui. The store has total gross floor area of 8,000 square metres. It is the first and only Central Department Store with only two floors. It features a contemporary resort design concept and touts the natural beachfront atmosphere. Glass panels and windows are used in order to give an airy feel to the building. There is a garden in-between the escalators. As there are only two floors, customers can choose to walk up the stairs, use the escalators or ride the lifts.

Thailand’s third biggest island, Koh Samui is a beautiful and interesting island. Koh Samui’s repertoire of things to do and see is varied and interesting.

A certain pair of amusing rocks called Grandmother and Grandfather is one of the main attraction for visitors, the large Buddha statue in Bangrak and some attractive waterfalls notably Na Muang waterfalls.

BIG BUDDHA

Big Buddha temple majestically sits on a small rocky island off Koh Samui and locally known as Wat Phra Yai.

This golden Buddha statue was built on 1972 and has quickly become one of Thailand’s most recognizable iconic landmarks. Big Buddha temple can be accessed via a causeway that connects it to the main island.

Since this is a sacred place, visitors are advised to dress modestly and be polite.

HIN TA AND HIN YAI ROCKS (Grandfather and Grandmother rocks)

These odd-looking rocks situated on Lamai Beach have been a source of mirth and wonder on the island since they were discovered many years ago. Grandpa and Grandma rocks, look, respectively bear a striking resemblance to male and female genitalia.

The legend goes that these rocks were created when a couple were travelling by boat with their son to his forthcoming wedding. The unfortunate family were caught by a violent storm of the coast of Samui and their vessel capsized. Unable to swim, they drowned and magically became the rocks as a sign of their good intention towards his proposed bride and her family.

The rocks stand there up to this day and have turned into one of the island’s biggest attractions.

NA MUANG WATERFALLS

There are few things that capture that island paradise feelings as a waterfall. A set of two magnificent cascades on Koh Samui states that the beauty of the island is not limited to its beaches.

Na Muang is a popular place for families to swim and relax, of course you will want to wade through the waters below to truly experience the raw natural beauty of these majestic waterfalls. There’s also a nearby elephant safari camp where one can book a ride on an elephant.

You can spend your entire day swimming, hiking, exploring and picnic food as a peaceful alternative to a beach.

MUMMIFIED MONK

It sounds a little macabre, but it’s not. These Mummiefied Monk at Wat Khunaram is an unusual sight yet it offers a unique insight into Thai culture. It’s absolutely fascinating, if a little weird for some.

One of the weirdest things about the experience is the fact that the monk – known in life as Luong Pordaeng – is casually wearing shades which have been placed upon him to hide the decay of his eyes.

Aside from Mummy Monk, Wat Khunaram is a fairly Buddhist temple, where local people can come daily to pray. Visitors are welcome to join or observe the daily rituals and have a look around.

SECRET BUDDHA GARDEN

Secret Buddha garden is hidden high up in the hills/mountains on Koh Samui’s south side. Magic garden was built in 1976 by a local Samuian fruit farmer Mr. Nim Thongsuk at the age of 77.

Magic garden with its many statues, waterfalls, spirit houses and tropical flowers and plants has a special, mystical atmosphere. Statues represent many creatures in various poses, including one of Khun Nim himself, in a relaxed position sitting on a rock.

There are several viewpoints along the way to secret Buddha garden offering a stunning panorama view over the southern part of Samui island.

WAT PLAILEM

The temple is located in the north of Samui not far from Wat Phra Yai on the road from Big Buddha to Cheong Mon Beach.

Wat Plailem is famous for the hundreds of fish that live in lake below the temple waiting to be fed. These temple is a living and active temple, where devotees come daily to pay homage to Guanyin and the Buddha.

SAMUI AQUARIUM AND TIGER SHOW

Samui Aquarium is located in Hua Thanon, the Aquarium hosts many local species of coral fishes, huge cat fishes and several sharks. This family-oriented attraction has enough time to entertain the kids and the whole family on an afternoon outing.

At the zoo, the main attraction is the Bengal tigers and Leopards. There’s also an opportunity to take your photograph with some of the tigers and leopards for an extra charge.

After enjoying the impressive size of those “cats” you will be invited to a bird show, where parrots, sea hawks and eagles will perform some amusing tricks for your pleasure.

On the way out, don’t forget to say “Hi” to the few birds and monkeys in smaller cages across the parking, some of the parrots are quite friendly and have some funny behavior.

SAMUI SNAKE FARM

Snake shows by the snake whisperers are the highlight of a visit to Koh Samui’s Snake Farm located near the coast on Koh Samui’s southwestern tip.

Two shows a day features cobra demonstration from a brave handler, audience interaction with safer reptiles, creepy displays of scorpions and centipedes. Visitors get a rare and up-close look at many of Thailand’s most fearsome reptiles, definitely not for the faint-hearted.

The insects display are hosted by a brave pair of people who hold the Guinness world records for handling scorpions and centipedes.

Snake shows are held at 11am and 2pm daily.

ANG THONG NATIONAL MARINE PARK

Angthong National Marin Park is a pristine archipelago of 42 islands in the Central Gulf Coast of Southern Thailand with soaring limestone mountains, jungles, white sand beaches, fertile mangroves, waterfalls, hidden coves and lakes to explore. Snorkeling, hiking, sea kayaking, diving, sailing and simply relaxing on one of its idyllic beaches are the main activities to enjoy on Angthong.

Get a few friends together and enjoy a private boat charter or you can book and go with a tour party.

Note: The park is sometimes closed in the months of November and the first 3 weeks of December to allow for the natural rehabilitation of the environment.

CABARET SHOWS

Ladyboy Cabarets might not everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s just amazing! Ladyboys offer some of the finest night-time entertainment in Koh Samui with shows that are jam-packed with glitz, glam and a touch of humour. Most have at least three shows every night, and after the shows, you’d be able to take photographs of your favourite performers.

Starz Cabaret is the leading Cabaret show on Koh Samui, located at the back of Chaweng Shopping Centre. Daily show time 8pm – 10pm nightly.

Moulin Rouge Cabaret – formerly the Christy’s Cabaret feature three shows nightly. Lip-synced divas offer nightly shows that, straight or gay, are guaranteed to put a smile on your face. Entrance is free. Moulin Rouge is located in a side street next off Chaweng beach Road (close to Burger King).